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Curriculum Requirements

To complete the University Honors Program curriculum, students will take 36 Honors credits distributed as follows:

1. Eight Honors courses in general education, 24 credits: The Honors Program offers a variety of Honors courses in general education each semester. Most Honors courses correspond to regularly offered general education courses. For example, HON 122: Honors World History I is equivalent to HIS 105: World History I. Honors courses that don't correspond to regular general education courses can still fulfill general education requirements. (The general education categories that Honors courses fulfill are posted on the Honors course offerings.) Students usually complete most of their Honors courses in general education during their freshman and sophomore years.

Honors Writing Intensive First Year Seminar (WIFYS) is required as 3 of the 24 general education credits. This course prepares Honors students to be effective writers in their own disciplines and in the Honors Program. Students will be introduced to the elements of professional discourse in their own discipline so they are prepared to participate in that discourse as undergraduates. Students will research and write an exemplary essay in their discipline and learn about academic venues for disseminating their research, including academic conferences and journals. They will share their disciplinary findings with a wider audience by communicating the results of their research at a public forum. (Note: AP or transfer credits may fulfill the WIFYS requirement, but students will need to substitute another Honors course in general education.)

2. Three Honors seminars, 9 credits: Honors seminars will be explorations of specific topics designed to demonstrate the interconnectedness of academic disciplines. The small seminars (usually 15 to 20 students) will focus on discussion of readings and will include individual or group research projects.

Some seminars, including Honors Business and Society and Honors Introduction to Exceptionalities, meet core requirements for business and education majors, respectively, and students may occasionally be able to count other seminars toward the completion of their major requirements. Students will usually complete the Honors seminars during their junior and senior years. Students who complete undergraduate research or creative projects beyond the Honors capstone requirement may petition to substitute this experience for one or more of their Honors seminars.

3. One Honors capstone project, 3 credits: The culmination of your Honors Program experience is your Honors capstone project. The Honors capstone project is a major independent or collaborative research, creative, or service-learning project. Students usually complete their capstone projects during their senior year and present their projects at the Honors Symposium at the end of their senior year. Please review the Honors Capstone Project Handbook carefully for specific guidelines for completing your capstone project.

These curricular requirements are summarized in the advising worksheets found on the Forms page of the Honors website.